NYLA Legislative Alert - ALA Request for Advocacy on Federal Funding
Rebekkah Smith Aldrich
Please excuse cross-posting…
LSTA does make an appearance in NYS – the Summer Reading Program, NOVELny and special MHLS projects like Getting to Yes and Building Your Base have been funded with LSTA dollars.
-Rebekkah
From: New York's
Libraries Information Network [mailto:NYL...@listserv.nysed.gov] On Behalf
Of Michael Borges
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:07 AM
To: NYL...@listserv.nysed.gov
Subject: [NYLINE] NYLA Legislative Alert - ALA Request for Advocacy on
Federal Funding
ALA has requested its state chapters to encourage library advocates to contact their congressman on the issues below. The deadline is March 12, so please act fast!
LSTA
Congress is currently busy drafting up the federal budget for fiscal year
2011. It has never been more important than now that Congress fully funds
the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only annual source for
federal funding to public libraries. As Congress writes next year's
budget they need to understand that dollars from the state and local levels are
at an all time low and libraries can not continue to do their important work
with out this funding.
There is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives urging the
Appropriations Committee to include $300 million in funding through LSTA in the
FY2011 budget. Please contact your representative's office and tell them
about work your library does in the community. It is always a good idea
to stress what programs and resources your library provide to help build the
local economy, help kids with their homework, and so much more. After you
have explained how libraries are an incredibly valuable investment, please ask
your representative to sign onto the "Dear Colleague" letter
supporting LSTA.
School Libraries
In his FY2011 budget, President Obama consolidated Improving Literacy Through
School Libraries with five other literacy programs. This would mean that
school libraries will have to directly compete with other programs to receive
federal dollars under the President's plan. However, Congress is busy
drafting up their own budget for FY2011 right now, and there is no word yet if
they will go along with President Obama's recommendation of
consolidation. Congress needs to hear from their constituents NOW about
the important role that school libraries play in today's schools.
Right now there is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives
urging the Appropriations Committee to specifically appropriate $100 million
for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries. This amount means that
this program will be available to every state, rather than the current
competitive grant program. Please contact your representative's office
explaining to them how important having a school library can be in a child's
education. Please ask them to sign on to the Improving Literacy Through
School Libraries "Dear Colleague."
Contact your legislator via ALA’s website http://capwiz.com/ala/home/
Once your representative or their staff confirms that they would like to sign
on to the funding "Dear Colleagues," please ask them to contact the
staffers below depending on their party affiliation:
Democrat
Ask them to contact Joseph Mais in Rep. Grijalva's office and ask them to sign
onto the Dear Colleague. His email address isjose...@mail.house.gov and
his phone number is (202) 225-2435.
Republican
Ask them to contact Rachel Fenton in Rep. Vernon Ehlers' office and sign onto
the Dear Colleague. Her e-mail address isRache...@mail.house.gov
and her phone number is (202) 225-3831.
It is of the utmost importance that you contact your Representative before
tomorrow and urge them to sign on to these letters! We need to keep the
pressure on our elected officials until the deadline for signatures on these
critical letters expires. Grijalva and Ehlers plan to send the letter on
Friday, March 12, so time is of the essence.
Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association
6021 State Farm Road
Guilderland, New York 12084
518-427-1697 (fax)